Community Energy Pathways wins King’s Award
We’re delighted to announce that Lewes Climate Hub’s strategic partner, Community Energy Pathways (CEP), the not-for-profit community energy social enterprise headquartered at the Hub, has been awarded the prestigious King’s Award for Sustainable Enterprise.
Community Energy Pathways was formed out of local community energy company Ovesco (which itself was originally founded by members of Transition Town Lewes’s energy group) to support other communities wanting to build their renewable energy capacity themselves.
The parliamentary awarding panel said: “This award reflects two years of rigorous due diligence by the King’s Fund, acknowledging CEP’s outstanding contribution to empowering communities to deliver locally-owned, low-carbon energy solutions.”
The award recognises CEP’s work in supporting over 60 community energy groups across 15 counties and towns, as well as securing of £1 million from UK Power Networks to expand its reach to 20,000 people and facilitate over 1,200 in-person home energy visits.
The awarding panel of MPs commended Community Energy Pathways’ innovative Energy Champions programme, which creates local jobs and works with residents to give them the knowledge and tools to cut their energy costs and carbon emissions. It also noted that community energy enjoys significantly greater public support than privately-owned alternatives.
MPs supporting the award also called on the government to provide greater support to the community energy sector to accelerate the just transition to a low-carbon economy, reduce household energy bills, and strengthen local resilience and ownership of the UK’s energy future.
Community Energy Pathways will receive the award at a Royal reception this month. Chief executive Ollie Pendered said: “It’s an honour to receive this award and work across the country showcasing and helping new community energy groups get started. We are extremely proud to have been made in Lewes!”